Professional Staff Positions

About Student Housing

KU's Department of Student Housing is all about helping students achieve more, dream more, be more. We create ways to enhance the college experience and ensure success: academic, social, financial.

Student Housing has three types of living options: residence halls, scholarship halls, and apartment living.

All options provide residents with a friendly and academic environment, opportunities for community involvement, access to the campus computing network, cable television, academic resource centers (ARCs) with computer stations, KU card-operated laundry areas, and a trained , engaged staff.

Student Success at KU

Student Success Mission Statement

Student Success at the University of Kansas provides services and programs that are essential to the intellectual, cultural, physical, social and moral development of students. Student Success encourages students to realize their potential as individuals and as prepared, enlightened, responsible members of an increasingly complex and diverse global society. As a partner in the educational process at a comprehensive research and training university, Student Success is vital to the institutionfs mission to serve as a center for learning, scholarship and creative endeavor.

About Lawrence and the Kansas City Area

Founded in 1854 by Free Staters, Lawrence has a population over 90,000 in a multi-cultural, friendly, small town atmosphere with many of the attractions of a big city. If the Wizard of Oz provides your only reference for Kansas, then be prepared to be surprised: Nestled among rolling hills, Lawrence is a community of diverse populations, various faiths and places of worship, talented artists, and a wide variety of shopping and cultural events.

Beautiful and historic downtown Lawrence boasts more than 150 shops and restaurants. From high-end clothing stores to local specialty shops, downtown Lawrence has what you're looking for. (See http://www.visitlawrence.com/ for more details.) Restaurants cover a wide variety of tastes: The Mad Greek, La Parilla, Milton's Coffee Shop, Free State Brewery, India Palace, and the European grocery Au Marche.

South Lawrence offers popular chain and department stores such as Old Navy, Kohl's, Pier 1, Best Buy, Bed, Bath, and Beyond, The Home Depot, and JCPenneyfs just to name a few.

If live music is what you're interested in, there are a number of venues that offer nightly concerts in Lawrence. If you're willing to drive 20-40 miles, you'll find national music venues nearby in Kansas City. Kansas City is also world renowned for barbecue as well as jazz and blues. Kansas City is home to fine dining, the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum, the Jazz Hall of Fame, Chiefs football, and the Kansas City Royals baseball team. (See visitKC.com for more information).

Of course, the area also has plenty of shopping opportunities including two well known outdoor shopping areas. The first, J.C. Nichols Plaza (famous for its fountains and Spanish-influenced architecture) is near downtown Kansas City. There is also another area near by the Kansas Speedway called the Legends at Village West.

Lawrence and Kansas City offer a wealth of attractions for all kinds of interests. We hope you'll take a look and experience these treasures, too.

Position Description

Complex Director (CD)

Description:

Provide leadership for residential housing of between 500-950 students. Complexes vary in physical size, structure, student population, and program emphasis.

Responsibilities:

  • Provide overall direction and vision to student staff and leaders within complex
  • Foster community, academic success, and development for students and staff
  • Advise student government and help administer budget
  • Coordinate administrative functions such as occupancy, staff recruitment and training, and building management
  • Administer student conduct system and manage crisis intervention
  • Supervise and evaluate 2-6 graduate student staff

Requirements:

Master's degree in student personnel or related area, plus live-in and significant residence life experience.

Remuneration:

  • $29,000|$32,000 salary for a 12-month contract
  • Furnished 2-bedroom apartment with A/C, utilities, cable TV, phone service
  • Full meal plan with ability to host immediate family members
  • Health insurance for self and dependents (eligible following 60 days of employment), dental, vision, and prescription coverage
  • Retirement contributions matched by university
  • Vacation, sick, and other leave time

Professional Development:

  • Each Complex Director receives full financial support to attend one conference per year. The Department of Student Housing is actively involved in the regional UMR-ACUHO and NASPA IV-west communities and is a member of ACPA, NASPA, ACUHO-I, UMR-ACUHO, NASPA IV-West, NACURH, MACURH, and NRHH. Additional financial support may be available.
  • Complex Directors are encouraged to submit presentation proposal at regional and national conferences, as well as for on campus professional training activities. Additional Presentation, training, and facilitator opportunities are available at various campus leadership programs such as Student Leadership Institute, Blueprints, and LeaderShape.
  • Complex Directors chair or advise at least one Department of Student Housing committee. Committees coordinate staff selection, training, programming and recognition for Residence Life.
  • In addition, Complex Directors may have the opportunity to advise or co-advise additional registered student groups within the department (such as NRHH, RA/Proctor Council, Association of Residence Halls, All Scholarship Hall Council, Stouffer Neighborhood Association, and Jayhawker Towers Tenants Association) or campus community (Homecoming Steering Committee or Colors of KU Committee).
  • Opportunity to teach PRE 101, a first-year seminar course, or other courses.
  • Professional development speakers, presentations, "resource-share," etc. at Complex Director and Assistant Director meetings.
  • Networking and mentorship with some of the most respected administrators in the field of student affairs.

Any employment with the University is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background check.

Residential Communities

Complex Directors have the opportunity to work with several special communities, placing their stamp on existing programs or creating new ones.

Honors Program Residence (McCollum and Templin Halls): High ability students enjoy living environments that emphasize academic achievement and faculty-student interaction. Nearby Nunemaker Center houses the KU Honors Program. Complex Directors work with the Nunemaker Center staff to provide engaging, educational programs for the honors students.

Faculty in Residence (Hashinger and Ellsworth Halls): Each year 1-2 KU faculty are selected and invited to live in the residence halls with the students. The faculty hold office hours, offer supplemental programming, and are often seen at large hall events, such as move-in day or traditional hall programs.

ROTC and Engineering Communities (Oliver and Templin Halls): These communities are designed for first-year KU students. Students are enrolled in courses together and assigned the same residence hall floors. The faculty involved in the creation and implementation of these programs routinely interact with hall staff regarding development and additional in hall supports.

Lewis Community Involvement: Lewis Hall focuses on serving KU and the Lawrence community. Hall staff plan monthly community service events to increase civic engagement among Lewis Hall students.

3E (Experience Excellence in Ellsworth): Ellsworth Hall resident may participate in a program that helps students investigate career options. The program includes partnerships between the Complex Directors and the University Career Center, University Advising Center, and other faculty/staff.

Scholarship Halls: Residents selected to live in one of the 12 scholarship halls pay less annually (a form of "scholarship") than those in residence halls. In these 50-person cooperative houses, residents complete four to six hours weekly of house-keeping tasks like cooking or cleaning. The application process is competitive, and the special application process is described on the housing application form.

Meet Our Full-time Residence Life Staff

Pictured below is our full-time Residence Life staff. Learn more about them by clicking on their names below.

L to R: Tara Vereen, Natalie Timson, Jayme Uden, Jennifer Wamelink, and Laura Isdell

...And Our Current Complex Director Staff

Pictured below are our current complex directors. These staff members from across the nation chose the University of Kansas—we hope you will, too! Learn more about them by clicking on their names below.

L to R: Tracey Condon, Justin Frederick, Autumn Ayers, Matt Reed, Mandy Zweifel-Hughes, Cody Charles, and Chad Theisen

CD's Apartment

Complex director apartments vary slightly depending on the hall, but all apartments have a living area, bedroom(s), kitchen, full bath and closet space. Apartments come furnished with living room furniture.

How to Apply

Submit a letter of application outlining interest and relevant experience, a resume, and three references to: Complex Director Recruitment Committee, KU Department of Student Housing, 422 West 11th Street, Suite DSH, Lawrence, KS 66045.3312 or dshrecruit@ku.edu.

Residence Life Organizational Chart